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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27347767">Interlude: Till the Break of Day</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bamf_babe/pseuds/Bamf_babe'>Bamf_babe</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Into the Jaskierverse [19]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>let him sleep, let us all sleep please</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 01:21:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,111</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27347767</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bamf_babe/pseuds/Bamf_babe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Jaskier is tired, so very tired. Luckily, there's a mage with a bottle of wine and a warm bath.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Into the Jaskierverse [19]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1895545</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>120</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Interlude: Till the Break of Day</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jaskier lands on the ground with a thump and looks around. There are leaves on the ground surrounding him and the cold air is causing his breath to fog up in front of him. He shivers. It is cold and he feels the chill in his bones. Fucking Hell. </p><p>From the cold air, he is hoping this is not another insane apocalyptic universe but honestly at this point who knows. He has seen far too much and he is just tired. Tired of existing and being here and getting shoved from one universe to the goddamn next without a single break. He just needs a moment to relax and he is not getting this moment. The universe itself is throwing shit at him day after day and he honestly can’t understand it. He wants it all to stop so damn badly and it keeps pushing him over, rolling onto him and causing him to scream and cry out but he’s just too tired. </p><p>Jaskier hasn’t moved from the ground. He’s still cold. </p><p>At this point, if some monster from the dark came out of the underbrush and ate him alive he wouldn’t care. He’s tired of being the self-made therapist and go-to for every possible version of Geralt and Jaskier in the universe and he wants to rest so badly. </p><p>He’s so tired and so cold. Would it really hurt to just...lay down here and rest for just a bit? It couldn’t hurt, could it? It couldn’t hurt. Jaskier lays his head down and even though he is very very cold he is still resting and waiting. He is still curling into the ground and imagining it is warm he feels the air of something on his face but nothing is moving and he is there and nothing is moving and he is falling asleep and the cold is going away even if it is still present and as he drifts away he sees a pair of black boots in his vision before everything goes dark. </p><p>When Jaskier wakes up, it is too a room which he is entirely unfamiliar with.  It is a wide, circular room with arched windows hung with black, red, and yellow banners and a midnight carpet. The room is furnished with tables, chairs, and bookcases; and by the door leading up to the dormitories stands a tall statue of some King Jaskier can’t recognize. There are instruments on many different surfaces, astrolabes, clocks, a telescope, and a potioneer’s setup. This is a mage’s lair, although not one he is familiar with. </p><p>Then, a pair of boots come into his vision and he realizes that he does know this particular mage. It’s Yennefer he feels a rare smile these days come across his face. It has been a long time since he has seen a friendly face. She doesn’t look hostile and angry so clearly this version of Yennefer has not met him yet. So he sits up, noticing that the cold has gone from his bones, and smiles at Yennefer.  </p><p>“To what do I owe this pleasure?” Jaskier says. </p><p>“I found you freezing out in the woods,” Yennefer says, “if I left you there much longer you would’ve gotten hypothermia.”</p><p>Jaskier pauses, he hadn’t realized anything quite that cold or that he had been in that much danger. Apparently, he had found himself in more danger than he had realized. He supposes he owed Yennefer thanks. </p><p>. “I assume you don’t know who I am,“ he said </p><p> </p><p>Yennefer shook her head and Jaskier sighed “I don’t feel like giving the entire speech over and over again, so just know that I am from an alternate universe and looking to get home. I have no way of knowing when or where I will leave I just know that I eventually will.”</p><p>“Interesting,” she began but Jaskier cut her off. </p><p>“And just to be clear yes I do know you in my home universe. Yes, we are friends. No, I don’t want to tell you anything about your past present, or future because if I’m being honest I’m just tired”</p><p>Yennefer laughed, “That’s absolutely fine with me. I saved you because you looked about to die and no matter what some may believe I do not like to watch people die. I am currently one of the most powerful mages on the Continent, I am the advisor to the crown of Aerdirn. I literally cannot be happier or more powerful so I don’t particularly care for anything you may know about me. I hope you can leave soon but in the meantime, do you feel like staying here with me? I imagine it’s been a while since you’ve had a proper bath or some nice clothes to wear.”</p><p>“You have no idea.”</p><p>This version of Yennefer was an absolute godsend. She set up a lovely bath for him in her side chambers and Jaskier dropped into the water soaking in the herbal essence that was in the water and looking at the bubbles that floated on top that she had conjured. He tried to take this moment to relax, his life was chaotic and he couldn’t get a moment's rest but at least here no one seem to be out for his blood or asking him for advice and if he had to be honest, this version wasn’t too different from the woman he knew and loved in his own dimension. It was clearly just earlier in her own timeline so she wasn’t quite so jaded yet. He could see the outlines of unenjoy ment but they were not fully formed yet. Jaskier was happy with this outcome. </p><p>He really didn’t want to have to go through another exhausting adventure at the moment. He had been through enough. When he got out of the bath there was a lovely silk dress laid out on the chair with a matching robe. He put it on happily enjoying the feeling of clean clothes and freshly washed skin. God knows how long it had been since he had had a moment of break and rust. In fact, oftentimes he had been on the road for far too long. He did enough of that in his own home dimension. It was nice to have some comforts of a more lovely and civilized time. As Jaskier walked into the other room wearing a silk robe and dress carefully, Yennefer was sitting by the fire, bottle of wine in hand. </p><p>She looked at him and smiled, “Come on over, might as well let loose a bit while you are here.”</p><p>Jaskier happily moved to sit at Yennefer’s feet and she silently passed in the bottle. At this point in her life, she likely didn’t care to know who he was and honestly didn’t need to. She was relatively happy at her position as a court mage. From their talks back home yeah scare knew that by this point Yennefer was certainly having reservations, but this early into her career as a court mage she felt that she was still getting settled and adjusted and will come to enjoy it soon enough. Jaskier couldn’t help but laugh a little because Yennefer had no idea. At least her life would definitely become more interesting in the following decades. He was sure that she was driven enough to do anything she could set her mind to. The two of them pass the bottle back-and-forth until it was empty, not saying a word. Jaskier thought that Yennefer could tell he was having a time of it and at this point, he just needed to lie down. </p><p>She ran her hands through his hair, “you are practically falling asleep at my feet, you must know me pretty well to feel so comfortable in my presence.”</p><p>Jaskier shrugged, “You haven’t asked me for any details and you are trying to kill me and nothing is trying to kill you. This is practically a vacation.”</p><p>“That’s depressing.”</p><p>Jaskier laughed, although there was no humor in it, “You have no idea.”</p><p>He finished off the bottle and let Yennefer hand him the beginnings of a new one. If he had a chance to finally rest, he would not stand to relax and rest sober. </p><p>“Let’s make this night a bit more fun Jaskier,” Yennefer said leaning into him as he passed the bottle to her. </p><p>“As long as it doesn’t involve moving from this spot I am happy to undertake any task you have for me,” he said. </p><p>“Let’s play a quick game, you and me.”</p><p>“What sort of game?”</p><p>“I want to know how well you know me. I tell you a fact about myself which could be true or false. If you correctly guess which one it is, I take a drink, if you are incorrect, then you drink.”</p><p>“Sound interesting, let’s play, nothing better to do.”</p><p>“Perfect. Question 1, my favorite color is blue.”</p><p>“False. Your favorite color is yellow.”</p><p>“Damn it,” Yennefer said under her breath but took a swig of the wine nonetheless. </p><p>“I did say I knew you, if you want to make this more difficult you will have to try harder.”</p><p>“Oh, I can try harder, question 2, when I was in Aretuza what was my favorite area of magic to study.”</p><p>“I know this! You loved weather manipulation.”</p><p>Yennefer shook her head, “And I thought you knew me. It was herbs and plants. I never had a green thumb but I always enjoyed the greenhouses.”</p><p>Jaskier rolled his eyes, “Of course, and getting the chance to peek at a certain curly-haired red-headed witch is simply a nice bonus.”</p><p>“Getting to look at a what?”</p><p>“Triss?”</p><p>“Sorry Jaskier, at this point I don't know a Triss.”</p><p>Jaskier paused. Huh. </p><p>“Well, Triss is an absolutely lovely woman, and if you ever meet her you would love her at once, highly recommend.”</p><p>Yennefer shrugged, “I will keep my eyes peeled then.”</p><p>Jaskier yawned and leaned into the side of Yennefer's leg, feeling his eyes grow heavy and begin to close. He half-asleep did a few more questions with Yennefer but both of them were falling asleep. </p><p>They crawled into Yennefer’s bed and Jaskier found himself curling up into her side as Yennefer’s limbs splayed every which way as she slept. He didn’t even remember the moment between waking and falling asleep. </p><p>In the morning, Jaskier awoke to the sound of the door opening. The door opened and a page stepped in carrying a tray of food. He didn’t move, not knowing the court etiquette when it came to who was allowed to stay in a mage’s bedchambers. Yennefer had no such qualms and sat up, still wearing little sleepwear and grabbed the food. </p><p>The page smiled, looking at Yennefer and said, “Another lucky night?”</p><p>“I suppose you could call it that.”</p><p>The page left, doubtless to spread news of Yennefer’s newest conquest and Jaskier found he didn’t mind being used for this bit of gossip. It wasn’t as if he would really mind. Honestly at this point he was surprised a portal hadn’t come and whisked him away already. It had been a touch too quiet this entire trip and Jaskier was beginning to get suspicious. </p><p>Yennefer and he ate breakfast in complainable silence. It was fresh fruit and pastries. It was nice. It was relaxing. </p><p>Yennefer got him a nice new set of clothes and gave him a pack with some food and water. Jaskier was happy that this time he didn’t have to leave with practically nothing and he also was wearing clean clothes. That’s always a bonus. </p><p>At a certain point, Yennefer told Jaskier that she had to go and do the rounds of the court but would stop by her rooms again soon and she would like to she him again before she left. </p><p>Jaskier tried to use this time alone to do some snooping on Yennefer but found nothing. Yennefer was surrounded by luxury but there was no substance, no personality to her space. It was all alone and separate. Sad. It was sad. Jaskier tried to think about how happy Yennefer would be in 30 years when she met all of them, when she met Ciri. Yennefer really was an amazing mother to Ciri and he could only hope this version of Yennefer would grow to be just as wonderful.</p><p>Yennefer walked back in, “Well, I began to sense a buildup of magic and rushed back here, I think you are about to leave.”</p><p>Jaskier felt the tell tale pull and quickly brought in this version of Yennefer for a hug, “Seems like it, thanks so much?”</p><p>“For what?”</p><p>“The rest.”</p>
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